Trust Rewards Plan Summary

Overview

The TMLT Trust Rewards Program serves as a financial reward program for TMLT insureds who have demonstrated loyalty to the Trust and a commitment to practicing quality medicine. Our goal is to reward that commitment and loyalty by providing an opportunity to enrolled physicians to accumulate funds that will be distributed at the time of a qualifying event. As a physician-owned organization, the Board of Trustees believes that it is appropriate that company benefits be shared with its insured owners.

How it works

Texas Medical Liability Trust will establish and fund an account, referred to as the “Trust Rewards Account,” for each qualifying, enrolled individual member physician (“Participant”). Depending on the financial performance of the Trust, additional contributions can be added to the individual accounts at the discretion of the Board of Trustees. All contributions are tax-deferred until distributed to the enrolled physician. Such contribution will be distributed to the physician upon a qualifying retirement, qualifying disability, or death.

Eligibility

TMLT full-time and part-time physician policyholders who are insured on December 31 of the previous year are eligible. New policyholders are also eligible. Those not eligible are physicians insured on a scheduled physician policy.

Funding

The TMLT Board of Trustees will determine funding for the Program on an annual basis. The amount will be based on the financial performance of the Trust. If an amount is allocated to the Program, an individual’s share will be determined using a premium-based formula approved by the board.

Pay out and forfeitures

Participating physicians are eligible for pay out upon their retirement on or after age 50 and 3 years of coverage with TMLT, upon death, or upon a qualifying disability. In all other cases, including non-renewal of the coverage by TMLT, the funds will be forfeited. Request for pay out must be in writing. Pay out will be in the form of a lump sum. Periodic payments or annuities are not permitted under the program. All taxes are the responsibility of the recipient of the funds and will not be withheld by TMLT at the time of the distribution.

Ownership

The TMLT Trust Rewards Program is a benefit established for the individual insured TMLT physician and is maintained in the physician’s name. If a physician changes groups or starts a solo practice, there is no impact on this Program, as long as the physician maintains medical professional liability coverage with TMLT. Some physicians may prefer that the proceeds from the Trust Rewards Program be paid to a practice group or entity instead of to the individual physician. This is permitted if the physician assigns the balance of the account to the group. However, the group would only receive the funds if the physician retires, passes away, or becomes disabled while employed by, or associated with, the group.

Additional information

The terms and conditions of the TMLT Trust Rewards Program are governed by the Plan Document adopted by the Board of Trustees of Texas Medical Liability Trust. If any information, comments or statements in this Summary, or in any other document or communication, including press releases, letters and electronic information conflicts with the Plan Document, then the Plan Document shall supersede such information, comments or statements.

Any funds made available for the benefit of the Trust Rewards Accounts shall be unrestricted surplus of TMLT until and unless distributed to the Participant and, as such, remain available to TMLT for the satisfaction of policyholder obligations and general creditors. No Participant shall have any individual claim to any funds made available for the benefit of the Trust Rewards Accounts until and unless such funds are distributed to the Participant.